Here is an interesting question; do cats provide a useful pest control service to the nation as a whole whether we own one personally or not?

Think about it, either your own or your neighbour's cat must kill hundreds of pests such as mice each year. Then when you consider that the national cat population is several million you begin to see just what a service they provide, and all for free. If you had to pay pest control companies instead it would cost a small fortune.

Perhaps people should welcome the pressence of a cat in their garden as it will be helping to keep the mouse etc population in check. If it were not for cats we may be overrun by vermin.

I agree! I live quite close to a river, and have never seen any rats or mice around my house. Lots of cats around here! :clap:

K x

According to the RSPB website, about 20% of animals that cats kill are garden birds. Whilst the RSPB aren't overly concerned about this, please still take it into account, and remember that cats don't just kill pests. They often kill them for fun, not for food. Don't get me wrong, I like cats, but there are about 8 million pet cats in the UK, I think the amount of garden birds they kill outweighs the amount of good they do killing pests.

I keep a cat, she is getting a bit older now so she doesnt stray far, however she does stray far enough to keep the pigeons from crapping allover my garden and she puts off any vermin looking for a warm bed and a quick feed.

The cat may stop pigeons from crapping on your garden, but your cat has to poo somewhere, and in my experience cats tend to do this in other peoples gardens...

Do creatures like mice and voles actually do that much harm (as long as they don't get inside)? they are not as dirty as creatures like rats and squirells, and they provide food for larger pirds of prey like owls.

Have you noticed that people with cats always have them padding about on top of work surfaces and kitchen tables.......how unhygenic is that :gag:

Originally posted by Mo
Have you noticed that people with cats always have them padding about on top of work surfaces and kitchen tables.......how unhygenic is that :gag:

especially when they have just got out of the litter tray - :gag:

Originally posted by nick2
especially when they have just got out of the litter tray - :gag:

Which they have used after hoping through the cat flap fresh from killing a nice, clean mouse :gag:

Originally posted by Mo
Have you noticed that people with cats always have them padding about on top of work surfaces and kitchen tables.......how unhygenic is that :gag:

Erm, is that so? I must have been out when you came round to inspect my work surfaces for paw prints.

Have you ever noticed that people often spout mindless drivel? :gag:

Every cat owning house I've ever been lets the moggy crawl all over the kitchen. Do you follow yours around 24/7 with the disinfectant then?

Personally, I don't think most cats can be trained in the same way dogs can. When you are around the cat might know not to get on the worktop, but I'm sure a lot do when there is no-one to tell them not to.

Cats can be trained very well, just takes a bit of persistence. Let them know where the boundaries are and be consistent and they soon get the idea. Certainly my two are very well behaved, they don't even jump up on to the surfaces if there's some food left out there.

I wouldnt call birds pests, but my cat decided to take out 7 of them last saturday. He is sooooo cute :suspect:

I think that people often think that their cat has killed all the birds which they bring home. Often fledgelings fall out of the nest and are helpless, or birds which have been injured and are flopping about helpless. Are often finished off by cats, especially younger cats. I would have thought that cats need a bit of experience and cleverness before they can actually hunt birds succesfully.

Having said that, factories and old works always had a few cats supposidly to keep the mice and rats down. These are usually extremely scrawny and thin and the workers often feed them a small amount of cat food. So they can't be all that efficient as hunters.

The cat is definatly hunting them himself. He has been seen climbing trees and leaping for the kill. Evil B***ard

Originally posted by Mo
Every cat owning house I've ever been lets the moggy crawl all over the kitchen. Do you follow yours around 24/7 with the disinfectant then?

Exposure to bacteria is essential for our survival. If our immune system was protected from bacterial infections it would be useless. I'd worry more about the bacteria in plastic chopping boards and tea towels.

My cat's beyond the chasing and toying until they're flapping on the kitchen floor stage...he's about 12, has three legs and two teeth...number 1 feline predator in our house!

Originally posted by Andy78
Exposure to bacteria is essential for our survival.

I think I can survive without being exposed to cat turd though.

I once saw a cat sneek up on a bird and catch it, it was very barbaric with lots of screaming from the bird, but it was also very interesting, I think cats do a great service.

Originally posted by nick2
I think I can survive without being exposed to cat turd though.

You can either way because your immune system will protect you.

Originally posted by Andy78
Exposure to bacteria is essential for our survival. If our immune system was protected from bacterial infections it would be useless. I'd worry more about the bacteria in plastic chopping boards and tea towels.

It's the human equivalent of walking all over the surfaces in your outdoor shoes and then sitting your bare a**e down.

I'll build up my immunity elsewhere thanks :gag:

I've got two and regardless of their ability to reduce critters I enjoy their company.
I'm told that just being with an animal reduces your heart rate, blood pressure etc and makes you chill out.
My female tabby never leaves me alone but my tom is never in the house.
To me they do a great service, relaxing me, bonus is that they eat bugs in the house :)

Cats are evil
They should be extinct.
I hate them AND I'm allergic to their minging fur.

Give me a garden full of birds anyday.

:D

Originally posted by Mo
It's the human equivalent of walking all over the surfaces in your outdoor shoes and then sitting your bare a**e down.

I'll build up my immunity elsewhere thanks :gag:

My point being that it's not really an issue when we are exposed to bacteria all over the place anyway. You want to see the stuff that lives on your toothbrush!

Cats provide an invaluable service to their owners (many of whom may be lonely otherwise) in the form of companionship, love and doing funny cute stuff all the time. Pets (not just cats) are brilliant, very therapeutic and they help us show our caring loving side.

Ours are evil little bas**rds though. When we first moved here we heard foxes around and worried for the cats.

Then all our 3 ganged up on a fox, trapped it under the decking and wouldn't let it go. What next? Little red coats and blowing horms?

Originally posted by Mo
Have you noticed that people with cats always have them padding about on top of work surfaces and kitchen tables.......how unhygenic is that :gag:
Have you noticed that people with cats are often intelligent enough to know that they should clean the work surface down before preparing food on it?

Originally posted by Mo
It's the human equivalent of walking all over the surfaces in your outdoor shoes and then sitting your bare a**e down.

I'll build up my immunity elsewhere thanks :gag:

I know this is probably hard to believe but cat owners too have cleaning impliments which are used to wipe down kitchen tops, which are used before preparing food.
Isnt this what we are tought, wipe down your work surface before preping food?
So whats it matter if the cat with his dirty, dirty, little paws has been on it or not.
Mine dont go on the kitchen side while im in, but im sure they have a party when im out.

It's funny how many cat lovers are against fox hunting, but the barbaric and agonising way that cats kill "pests" for fun is far worse than any fox hunt.

Originally posted by PerlOfWisdom
It's funny how many cat lovers are against fox hunting, but the barbaric and agonising way that cats kill "pests" for fun is far worse than any fox hunt.

Eh?
one cat v one prey item = fair
one fox v 40 dogs and 30 people on horse back = unfair

Originally posted by PerlOfWisdom
It's funny how many cat lovers are against fox hunting, but the barbaric and agonising way that cats kill "pests" for fun is far worse than any fox hunt.

Thats true and cats don't even eat their catch....they toy and torment with those nasty little clawed paws. Watching a cat kill a mouse is one of the most cruel things I've seen.

I wonder what the figures are on the amount of birds being killed off by these millions of cats in the UK.

According to the RSPB, http://www.rspb.org.uk/gardens/advice/cats/Copy_of_index.asp?view=print
about 55 million per year.

Originally posted by PerlOfWisdom
It's funny how many cat lovers are against fox hunting, but the barbaric and agonising way that cats kill "pests" for fun is far worse than any fox hunt.

I think humans kill far more creatures than cats. Most of the time we don't have the guts to do it ourselves. Some of the time we do it for sport. The difference between cats and ourselves is that we are fully aware of what we are doing.

Originally posted by Andy78
I think humans kill far more creatures than cats. Most of the time we don't have the guts to do it ourselves. Some of the time we do it for sport. The difference between cats and ourselves is that we are fully aware of what we are doing.

Strange that fox hunters moan about the fact that their hounds are now redundant after the ban on their cruel "sport". If the hounds are redundant and you really want to kill something innocent in cold blood, just paint one of them orange and hunt it down...or would that just be too cruel?!

Originally posted by Mo
Thats true and cats don't even eat their catch....they toy and torment with those nasty little clawed paws. Watching a cat kill a mouse is one of the most cruel things I've seen.

You think cats are bad.
You aught to see what killer whales do to baby seals, they play tennis with them, batting them to each other with there tails. When the seal is that broken and cant swim any more they leave it to die. nice!

What about those nice cute fluffy grey squirrels as well, they kill chicks in the nest and red squirrel young. How come they get off so lightly?

Dont even get me on what foxes do, they are the kings of indescriminate killing for the fun of it. But they still dont deserve being hunted and ripped apart "alive" by a pack of dogs.

Nature is cruel im affraid

A cat killing a bird is like us craving a burger, but with exercise.

Cats can be trained very well, just takes a bit of persistence

True, seen loads of "Guide Cats" escorting blind people.

Originally posted by viking
True, seen loads of "Guide Cats" escorting blind people.

Why should they be trained? if we chose to let a cat live in our house, then that's up to us.

Originally posted by Andy78
Why should they be trained? if we chose to let a cat live in our house, then that's up to us.
Anyone else remember the dog food ad where the cute little West Highland White runs around getting breakfast in bed for his beloved owner?

The version with my own cat would run something along the lines of: the cat laid on the bottom of the bed in the morning, reading the paper and enjoying a cigarette...the cat checks his watch and see that it's time for his breakfast, so he lifts the duvet and stubs his cigarette out on the foot of his slumbering owner...because even if he could, the little sod wouldn't get off his fat can to bother!

But I love him really...

Personally, I don't think most cats can be trained in the same way dogs can.
Posted by Beckyaa for the attention of Andy 78

Yep I know the feeling,
mind you mine would just nibble my toes with his extremly sharpe teeth until I get up to get his breakfast for him.


Who's the owner??

Cats are great creatures. They are independent little machines and know how to love life with the minimum of effort.

Originally posted by brummy_tracy
Yep I know the feeling,
mind you mine would just nibble my toes with his extremly sharpe teeth until I get up to get his breakfast for him.


Who's the owner??
My own little cat is often referred to as "Nature's Most Adorable Parasite"!.

I think cats are a bit sly, don't trust them, the cat next door to us would always lay on the hood of my new car when the engine was still warm, scratched the hell out of it.

Originally posted by poppins
I think cats are a bit sly, don't trust them, the cat next door to us would always lay on the hood of my new car when the engine was still warm, scratched the hell out of it.
Common problem...to you it's a brand new car worth thousands; to the cat it's just another place to keep warm!

That's what I love about cats; they just don't care. As I've mentioned before, they only thing that stops cats ruling the world is a serious lack of thumbs.

Originally posted by poppins
I think cats are a bit sly, don't trust them, the cat next door to us would always lay on the hood of my new car when the engine was still warm, scratched the hell out of it.

Take a photo of it in action and present it to it's owners so that they can pay for the damage that their little cutie ball of fluff has caused. :thumbsup:

Originally posted by Andy78
That's what I love about cats; they just don't care. As I've mentioned before, they only thing that stops cats ruling the world is a serious lack of thumbs.
I'm just not sure that they could be a*sed to run the world if they grew the thumbs!

Whiskers three times a day, a tray to c*ap in and a sofa seems to do my cat fine.

Originally posted by Mo
Take a photo of it in action and present it to it's owners so that they can pay for the damage that their little cutie ball of fluff has caused. :thumbsup:

That's fair enough really.

Though one thing I'll give cats; at least they bury their poo. Dogs leave it anywhere the owner lets them.

Originally posted by Mo
Take a photo of it in action and present it to it's owners so that they can pay for the damage that their little cutie ball of fluff has caused. :thumbsup:

Can't do that , we like our next door neighbors too much, old retired couple, anyhow we cleaned out the garage and put it away now.

Originally posted by Andy78
That's fair enough really.

Though one thing I'll give cats; at least they bury their poo. Dogs leave it anywhere the owner lets them.

Actually when poo is on the surface you can see it and clean up but when it's buried your child who happens to be digging in the dirt (you know Andy -building their immunity like you said) gets it all over themselves and the spade :gag:

Originally posted by Mo
Actually when poo is on the surface you can see it and clean up but when it's buried your child who happens to be digging in the dirt (you know Andy -building their immunity like you said) gets it all over themselves and the spade :gag:

Well if you're concerned about infection from bacteria, you shouldn't let the child dig in the soil. Soil is pretty filthy. As you know this doesn't concern me as I know the immune system will deal with it.

Besides, just because you clean something up doesn't mean that the bacteria has gone. Bacteria is too small to see.

Originally posted by Andy78
Well if you're concerned about infection from bacteria, you shouldn't let the child dig in the soil. Soil is pretty filthy. As you know this doesn't concern me as I know the immune system will deal with it.

Besides, just because you clean something up doesn't mean that the bacteria has gone. Bacteria is too small to see.

If MY children want to dig in MY garden then surely thats our business after all children have dug in garden soil for decades - something you may not be familiar with if you are generation brought up playing computer games and watching wall to wall tv?

;)

I get very angry with cat owners think that their cats rights to s**t on my garden and dig up my plants should supercede the rights of myself and my kids to enjoy our garden :rant:

Erm, I think you're missing my point. You have every right to dig in the garden. I was just pointing out that it's obviously very filthy. You mentioned earlier that you were concerned about hygiene. Even without cats, soil is far from clean.

I would also like to point out that I grew up playing in the sand hills on the beach primarily (including digging in filth). Either that or playing sports on a field. We didn't really see computer games until we were teenagers. Even then, we preferred playing football and tennis as the games were crap.

Thank god the PS2 and XBOX came along and saved a generation from all those germs and buried catsh*t! (Joke.)

Originally posted by Carmine
Thank god the PS2 and XBOX came along and saved a generation from all those germs and buried catsh*t! (Joke.)

now the cats just sh*t on the Xbox instead! (also a joke)

Originally posted by Andy78
now the cats just sh*t on the Xbox instead! (also a joke)
Now that cat really needs it's bits chopping!

Originally posted by Carmine
Now that cat really needs it's bits chopping!

Yeah I agree. That is one cheeky little kitty.

Cats serve no purpose but to defacate in other peoples gardens where nothing grows where they have been.
They should be treated as vermin and sorted out as such.

If I catch any cats in my garden ....I shoot them!!

There are laws which state that my dog must be on a leash.....
I can be fined for not picking up my dogs Packages!
If you run over a dog...it must be reported.
If you run over a cat!! carry on driving as it is not nessesry to do so.....Tells you something about what the position is with a cat in society!

I would also rather see birds, mice, and other animals in my garden than see a cat defacating and killing.

Hey Derek nothing like getting people on side is their lol.
Nothing wrong with a pussy and cats are nice too.

Originally posted by royjames
Hey Derek nothing like getting people on side is their lol.
Nothing wrong with a pussy and cats are nice too. hA!.....BEING HONEST...... you can tell a cat owner.....normally the homes reek of cat urine......filthy animals!!!

A cat doesn't know any better.

A **** on a horse does.

Besides I try to STOP them catching mice and birds!

Do you think I actually like ritual assasinations on the dining room carpet??!

B

Originally posted by Bourne
A cat doesn't know any better.

A **** on a horse does.

Besides I try to STOP them catching mice and birds!

Do you think I actually like ritual assasinations on the dining room carpet??!

B
THanks for that..you just said everything that I was trying to point out.....lol...


Horse manure can be put to good use and most of your food is grown in it!!!
Try growing your veg in cat doo doo...... see the results Ha!

Doesn't this thing allow me to say "****"??

Son of a bitch!!!

Oh, cool. It let me say *****!

Originally posted by Bourne
Oh, cool. It let me say *****!
May I just say that you seem to have good vocational skills in language.....

LOL.....no offence meant by my posts...just my own opinions...

Originally posted by Delboy3
They should be treated as vermin and sorted out as such.

If I catch any cats in my garden ....I shoot them!!
And as a convicted criminal you will probably face a prison sentence and have your dog removed.

Perhaps your neighbours should know that you shoot cats?

Originally posted by Tony
And as a convicted criminal you will probably face a prison sentence and have your dog removed.

Perhaps your neighbours should know that you shoot cats?

I am sooo glad someone pointed that out, how would Delboy3 feel if someone shot his dog?

Originally posted by slimsid2000
Perhaps people should welcome the pressence of a cat in their garden as it will be helping to keep the mouse etc population in check. If it were not for cats we may be overrun by vermin.
I saw a mouse in my garden this week and my garden's full of cat krap :rant: :rant:

I'm putting off the start of gardening season because of it :mad:

Any more bright ideas?

Can we talk about cat road deaths now? And irresponsible owners? :rant:

Originally posted by Tony
And as a convicted criminal you will probably face a prison sentence and have your dog removed.

Perhaps your neighbours should know that you shoot cats?
Uh!!! One has to be a criminal first!!
I think that it should be a criminal offence to be an irresponsible cat owner!!
THere are plenty out there that allow their cats to multiply.

I take pride in my garden and I have lots of Koi that are worth more than a few cats!!
I did lose one Koi to a cat last year....The value of the fish was around 700.00.

Is it not criminal to allow ones animals to destroy and cost others??

Apart from that....cats ARE vermin!!! they serve no usefull purpose, cannot be trained and they crap in other peoples gardens!!

Originally posted by Delboy3
Uh!!! One has to be a criminal first!!
I think that it should be a criminal offence to be an irresponsible cat owner!!
THere are plenty out there that allow their cats to multiply.

I take pride in my garden and I have lots of Koi that are worth more than a few cats!!
I did lose one Koi to a cat last year....The value of the fish was around 700.00.

Is it not criminal to allow ones animals to destroy and cost others??

Apart from that....cats ARE vermin!!! they serve no usefull purpose, cannot be trained and they crap in other peoples gardens!!

Here Here.

First time I moved out of my parents I treat myself to a small cheap real Xmas tree.
Took the bucket out into my garden to put some soil in it and guess what I scraped up with the first handfull?
Death to all cats :rant:

It always amazes me that people talk more about cat poo, which is relatively smell free and cats will always try to bury their waste, than dogs waste which is usually large wet and very smelly.

I frequently see dog poo ON my front garden with owners that watch their dogs toilet and don't bother to clean up after them.

(Please Note. I do provide several indoor clean litter trays all year around which my cats use, rather than go out in nasty weather to my neighbours gardens)

Originally posted by PIF_Tails
It always amazes me that people talk more about cat poo, which is relatively smell free and cats will always try to bury their waste, than dogs waste which is usually large wet and very smelly.

I frequently see dog poo ON my front garden with owners that watch their dogs toilet and don't bother to clean up after them.

(Please Note. I do provide several indoor clean litter trays all year around which my cats use, rather than go out in nasty weather to my neighbours gardens)
You sound like a responsible owner....The thing about dogs deffacating on your garden is against the law!!
Dog owners can be fined for not clearing up after!!

My point is that there are a lot of cats that roam freely into other peoples gardens and bury their poo as you say in flower beds etc.

They also attack birds and fish that are in garden ponds...

I would also like to point out that Cat pee and Poo are as smelly as any other animal!!

try getting it down your fingernails! :gag:

You'd revise your opinions then :P

Originally posted by Mo
Thats true and cats don't even eat their catch....they toy and torment with those nasty little clawed paws. Watching a cat kill a mouse is one of the most cruel things I've seen.

jeeze Mo, how long were you watching it before you stepped in to rescue the poor little mouse? If you felt that way and you didn't help the mouse .... now that is seriously weird ...

Mice unfortunately really ARE vermin and carry all sorts of nasties which you really don't want to catch ... sad but true, cos they are sooo cute ... lol

Originally posted by Delboy3
The thing about dogs deffacating on your garden is against the law!!

Sorry to disappoint you, but private gardens are not included in "designated land" as referred to in the 'Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996'.

(This not to say that I approve of uncontrolled defaecation.)

Originally posted by cgksheff
Sorry to disappoint you, but private gardens are not included in "designated land" as referred to in the 'Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996'.

(This not to say that I approve of uncontrolled defaecation.) Thus if you called the relevant people then you cannot get a conviction if you can prove a point???
Rubbish!!!! you point exactly is?? that cats should be allowed to defacate where they want?

Do cats provide a useful service?

Yes. I haven't got the time to spend, sitting in the kitchen sink waiting for the tap dripping, and then continually pat the drops as they land.
There is a vast amount of patting that needs to be done every day, and a cat is a perfect solution to this as they can do it without boredom for hours.

Originally posted by Delboy3
Uh!!! One has to be a criminal first!!
I think that it should be a criminal offence to be an irresponsible cat owner!!
THere are plenty out there that allow their cats to multiply.

I take pride in my garden and I have lots of Koi that are worth more than a few cats!!
I did lose one Koi to a cat last year....The value of the fish was around 700.00.

Is it not criminal to allow ones animals to destroy and cost others??

Apart from that....cats ARE vermin!!! they serve no usefull purpose, cannot be trained and they crap in other peoples gardens!!

Id just like to add to that statement that I have three cats and a pond with hundreds of pounds worth of Koi in.
My cats dont touch the fish and never have, are you sure it wasnt taken by something less scared of water e.g. a heron or fox.
Im sure if you found out who the owners are they would help in detering there cat from your garden.

My neighbour compained to me, even though mine dont go over her side as their scared of her.
I provided her with a spray that deters cats going on her property only cost £5 and has finally made her happy. Hurrah!

For all you non cat lovers take a look at this (http://Kittens.sytes.org/) and see if you change your mind.

My my hark at all the cat haters, and all well informed too. My cats certainly don't clamber all over my work surfaces and never have. A water pistol is a useful tool to use against an inconsiderate moggi who likes to use your garden as a bog. Cats don't kill for fun either, it's a predatory instinct. Those who allow their cats on their work surfaces are probably the kind of people whos work surfaces are covered in s**t anyway.:gag:

Hi, I just registered on here for a moment because I just had to say something so if anyone replies to this, sorry if I don't respond because I will probably never look at this again...however, I am in college right now and I am doing a report on feral cats and their impact on wildlife. I just had to say that first: I'm not a cat fan or a bird fan. I do believe we should take control of the overpopulation of feral cats (which,by the way, is man's fault.We only want them when they are cute and small but as soon as they grow up we suddenly have no time or tolerance for them). I just think it's best to do proper euthynasia, not hunting or trying to kill them with things such as anti-freeze.It's completely in-humane.

My point of comment though is for those who are making such a stink about the "ESTIMATED" toll on wildlife by cats. Here are two quotes I found that just might help you to think about other reasons for supporting the proper control of this unfortunate over population.



"Cats: They are everywhere efficient rodent exterminators as required. They catch mice and rats for man -- man feeds them. It's a good relationship. Admittedly, they catch some birds too. But actually cats are not nearly as proficient at catching birds as is generally believed. The Audubon Society once printed a list of enemies of birds in this order:

1. Disease
2. Automobiles
3. Weasels
4. Humans
5. Parasites
6. Hawks
7. Starvation
8. Cats



"So, if cats are to help man by hunting for rodents, we must expect also to lose some birds. When I hear people complain of the way birds are bothered by cats, I feel compelled to remind them that man is not without fault in this respect either. I am reminded of a piece of dialogue I once read somewhere: 'That horrible cat caught another sparrow today,' said the duchess to the duke as she sat down to her quail and he to his pheasant.'"

Here are the best current estimates I find of birds killed annually through non-natural causes:(Curry and Kerlinger; Drennan; Holmstrom 1998; Sagrillo 2003; USFWS; Winter)

glass windows in homes and commercial buildings: 970 to 976 million
electric power lines: 130 to 174 million
hunting: over 100 million
cars and trucks: 60 to 80 million
agriculture (harvesting and pesticides): 67 million
lighted communication towers: 4 to 10 million"
(The Buffalo Sunday News, 2004)


"Even Karen Hale, executive director of the Madison Audubon Society, one of the largest pro-bird groups in the country with 2,500 members, said she voted no. While the cats have reduced the population of birds in the state, she said the question was too controversial.

"The whole issue of possibly hunting them is so controversial and there has been so much misinformation that we really need a lot more discussion on this issue," Hale said. She called for another study looking at the impact of feral cats." (CBS, 2005)

If anything all the bird lovers should be looking at what humans have done to the bird's natural habitat and population. That's where the real bird problems are.

As far as those who are for the cats, then please think about that cat. It is truly a health risk to humans and domestic cats alike.
(it wouldn't allow me to post a url but you can look it up online easily)
We could fancy giving them all homes but that is why they are out there in the first place. There are not enough homes for them and not enough shelters. It is more humane to put them down then to leave them at the mercy of illness, vehicles, guns, anti-freeze, animal abusers, and other means of a poor ending.

Cats are cute, birds are lovely...that doesn't mean we should just undermind the problem.

My cat provides a service beyond the scope of many humans - constant, uncritical companionship. She is confined to my garden and bothers no one except me. She is worth the cost of her keep for that alone.

Humans do far more damage to other living creatures than a cat does - try spending time with an animal on the way to the abbatoir and watch it being slaughtered - that's where your food comes from - and then tell me if a cat is any more cruel to its prey. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it isn't cruel.

As for roaming cats - I suggest you look at the human in that equation as well. There are a number of kind products - sprays, pepper, sonic devices - that keep cats off your garden. If you can't be bothered to use one what are you moaning about? Do you have to have someone else to move you off every thistle you sit on in life?

I just wish mine wouldnt bring the mice back :gag:

Cats are evil, they kill things for fun, then leave the mutilated bodies on my back garden.

Have you noticed that people with cats always have them padding about on top of work surfaces and kitchen tables.......how unhygenic is that :gag:

lol, thats why i always have those hygiene wipes around and give it a quick wipe before i use the surface, or i use a chopping board etc...

Do you do that after all the flies land on them with dog poo stuck to their feet?:D

=Humans do far more damage to other living creatures than a cat does - try spending time with an animal on the way to the abbatoir and watch it being slaughtered - that's where your food comes from - and then tell me if a cat is any more cruel to its prey. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it isn't cruel.

hmm...I hope you didn't intend that comment for me because, if so, then you didn't read my reply at all as it stated that humans are the main cause for both sides of this problem. They are actually responsible for a large amount of bird deaths (as I showed in the quote,not to mention the only species on earth to date that has wiped out another species all on it's own) and we are responsible for the overpopulation of feral cats as it was us who bred several cats in the first place and then just tossed the majority out if they weren't cute enough or good enough or we felt just simply didn't have the time for them and they couldn't handle themselves.
And I never said they should be slaughtered. Don't know where you got that idea. I said proper euthynasia. I know tons of cat lovers will run the defense about just how wrong that is but that's why I told them about how the way these ferals actually suffer is not worth the inhumane way that we keep them around just because they remind us of the cute little kitten our mommy once got us.
Humans are the worst of all species on earth, especially when it comes to protecting another. We only want to protect the cute things. We never think about it logically as to where the problems are and what we Must do to solve them.

p.s.- I work in a stable where we have a barn cat to kill the mice and the only dead birds I have seen are the ones that get killed flying through the building fans that connect the outside to the inside. Smokems has never killed a bird. Cats can occasionally catch a bird but, in reality, it is a difficult proccess as birds central nervous systems are directly connected to their sight reactions so the instant they see something approaching they take flight without thought. It's not really that easy for a cat to catch a bird unless it's ill or already dead...they'd just as soon go for a rodent or their food dish.

Erm, is that so? I must have been out when you came round to inspect my work surfaces for paw prints.

Have you ever noticed that people often spout mindless drivel? :gag:

Yes, as said already do you follow your cat round 24/7 polishing away its paw prints?

My cat is a killer, its a predator of the lowest order, stooping to such depths as slaughtering chicks in their nests, but he also kills rats and mice that sniff around in the gardens.
Watching a cat hunting and killing is a wonderful thing to see. Forget the lions of the African Veldt, we have drama going on in our gardens all the time.
Cats are awesome.

Yes, cats kill a lot of vermin and yes sometimes they play with their prey but it is just part of the natural cycle of life.

In general it is the females who hunt, certainly it is in our house. So if you don't want bits of prey in the house adopt a male cat instead. Our boys have so far only hunted in Tigs case small white stones and Milo brings home long stems of grass, the girls bring home back ends of mice (which at least gives you a handy tail to pick them up by or small blue organs !?!

Cats do kill a lot of birds but even the RPSB say that they do not negatively affect the bird population. Here is the proof a study the RPSB commissioned themselves...
http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/unwantedvisitors/cats/Copy_of_index.asp
Despite the large numbers of birds killed, there is no scientific evidence that predation by cats in gardens is having any impact on bird populations UK wide. This may be surprising, but many millions of birds die naturally every year, mainly through starvation, disease, or other forms of predation. There is evidence that cats tend to take weak or sickly birds. We also know that of the millions of baby birds hatched each year, most will die before they reach breeding age. This is also quite natural, and each pair needs only to rear two young that survive to breeding age to replace themselves and maintain the population. It is likely that most of the birds killed by cats would have died anyway from other causes before the next breeding season, so cats are unlikely to have a major impact on populations.
...so cats do not affect the bird population even with the numbers they do kill.

Cats are companion animals for their owners, they have a lot more personality and are more affectionate than the general cat reputation would lead you to believe.

I have litter trays for my own cats, so they don't bother my neighbours with their waste. But cats are clean animals who prefer to bury their waste when possible, unlike the dirty dogs who poo on the path outside my house and the dirty owners who fail to clean it up.

I prefer cats to all other animals and if you knew how loving and affectionate cats can be, you would be converted too :)

Cats make a house a home :)

I couldn't have a pet that sits and licks it's own bum while you're trying to watch TV.

I have had three cats over the years and they never seemed to catch anything, but this week my moggie has caught three birds.

Have bought him a collar £1.85 problem solved. I hope!

I asked my cat his opinion on cat haters and he said this: (http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i159/Doppler1/thefinger_small.jpg)

I asked my cat his opinion on cat haters and he said this: (http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i159/Doppler1/thefinger_small.jpg)

Love it!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have bought him a collar £1.85 problem solved. I hope!
Just a bit of advice, please ensure that the collar you have fitted to your cat has a quick release catch, as the full elastic and solid collars with buckles are responsible for causing numeous injuries and deaths.